Serving up Lunch and Luxury

With that game—you know the one—now just moments away, prospective buyers and guests of the Terraces at The Ambassador Gardens were recently treated to a demonstration of the perfect Super Bowl game halftime meal by SubZero West corporate chef Molly Goldman Kruger.

The live demo took place in a model apartment in the Terraces complex on Green Street, part of the former Ambassador Church property.

Etco Homes is a privately held, homebuilding company specializing in boutique urban infill condominium development. Over more than three decades, Etco Homes has built communities in locations from the Southern California coast to Pasadena, downtown Los Angeles, to West Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

Co-founded by President Afshin Etebar and Chief Operating Officer Bob Etebar, Etco Homes has built and delivered nearly 1,500 homes since the company’s founding in 1989.

Chef Molly prepared the meal in a live Instagram broadcast. Lunch featured her smokey all-beef chili, a three-bean chili for your veggie friends, as well as a unique pineapple cornbread.

‘Anyone can cook these,” she told the hungry gathering. “You don’t have to be a professional chef,” although she prepared the dishes to perfection. It didn’t hurt, however, that she prepared the meal in a kitchen fully outfitted in SubZero built-in appliances, from the ranges and countertops to the refrigerator/freezer.

The Terrace project itself is three levels of luxury apartment homes—Penthouses, from 2,972 to 4,430 sq. ft., which feature soaring ceilings and great rooms with stairs to an airy mezzanine. Glass doors fold open to a rooftop deck with views of the surrounding gardens. Some homes also include a media room, butler’s pantry, en-suite dressing room and a mezzanine terrace.

Townhomes, from 3,040 to 3,718 sq. ft., feature a private elevator, which is unique to the Pasadena homes, along with a chef’s kitchen and great room that opens to a terrace. The second level hosts the Primary Suite and a second bedroom. The third level has another suite, wet bar and media room with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that lead out to your private or roof terrace.

Terraces at the Ambassador Gardens via Facebook

The single-level condo design—2,616 to 3,945 sq. ft. with three bedrooms— includes an open-concept great room and gourmet kitchen, with floor-to-ceiling “walls” of glass that open to a patio or terrace. According to Etco Homes management, only 15 homes remain available in the development.

And now, let’s eat.

Chef Molly’s Game Day Recipes:

Smokey All Beef Chili

2# ground beef

1/2 small diced onion

5 cloves of garlic minced

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon toasted cumin powder

1 teaspoon toasted coriander powder

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup catchup

1/2 bottle brown ale beer 4 cup beef stock

1 teaspoon spicy sambal Smoked salt to taste

1. Sweat onions in a 6 qt pot over med/high heat. When on-ions turn translucent add ground beef. As ground beef is cooking add all dry spices. Once all spices are incorporated add tomato paste. Continue to cook until meat is complete-ly cooked.
2. Add Worcestershire, catchup, brown ale and beef stock and bring to a simmer.
3. Continue to simmer for 40 minutes to an hour. Adjust seasoning with salt and sambal.

Pineapple Caramel Cornbread

2 cups AP flour

2 cups cornmeal

3⁄4 cup sugar

1 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 cup grapeseed oil

2 cups milk

2 eggs

1⁄4 cup small cubed butter 1⁄4 cup brown sugar

1 pineapple sliced into rings

1. Preheat oven on convection 325°
2. Butter a 9×13” pan. Lind bottom of the pan with pineapple rings. Place cubed butter and brown sugar over pineapple.
3. Mix together all dry ingredients in a large glass bowl. Make a well.
4. In a separate bowl mix together all wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until lump free.
5. Pour mix over the pineapples and place in oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick is clean.
6. Turn out of dish while cake is still hot. Serve with caramel, ice cream or whipped cream

Three Bean Chili

1 can kidney beans rinsed

1 can pinto beans rinsed

1 can black beans rinsed

1 medium onion diced

1/2 cup medium diced carrot 1/2 cup medium diced celery 8 cloves garlic minced

2 tablespoons smoked paprika 2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin seed

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 large can diced fire roasted tomatoes

4 cups vegetable stock Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat 6 qt stock pot to a med/high heat. Add oil and onions and garlic. Cook onions until translucent, add carrots and celery continue to cook 3 more minutes. Add all dry spices and mix.
2. Add beans, tomatoes and stock. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Adjust seasoning just before service